Aurora Quezon (born
Aurora Aragon) was the wife of Philippine
President Manuel Quezon and the First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944.

AURORA
QUEZON

Aurora married Manuel Quezon
in December 1918 (who was
also her first cousin). Though she is recognized
as the second First Lady of the Philippines, she was actually the first spouse
of a Philippine president to be called as such.

During her husband's
presidency, Quezon engaged herself in the campaign to give Filipino women
the right to vote, which was achieved in 1937. Quezon was involved in the
Girl Scouts of the Philippines and the Associacion de Damas Filipinas, a
noted orphanage in Manila. She was also the honorary president of another
orphanage, the White Cross, located in San Juan.

Her husband
died died from tuberculosis whilst in exile in the United States during
World War II in August 1944. In 1947, with the active support of
Aurora Quezon, the Philippine National Red Cross
was established as an independent Red Cross organization. She became the
first Chairperson of the Philippine National Red Cross, holding the position
until her death.

She also was named as
honorary vice-president of the Philippine Tuberculosis Society.

On 28 April 1949, Quezon
left her home to travel to her husband's hometown of Baler to open the
Quezon Memorial Hospital. She had been cautioned about this trip beforehand
due to the frequent insurgency activities in Central Luzon of the
Hukbalahap, the military arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Their vehicle and military escort was ambushed and Mrs Quezon and her
daughter were killed instantly. There was national and international
condemnation of the massacre. While no Philippine President has ever been
assassinated, Aurora Quezon is one of three presidential spouses who have
been murdered.